Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation Announces $1.543 Million in Awards

OKLAHOMA CITY — Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation (EEJF) announced today the distribution of $1.543 million in grants to 15 journalism organizations nationwide.

Founded by Edith Kinney Gaylord, Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation’s mission is to invest in the future of journalism by building the ethics, skills and opportunities needed to advance principled, probing news and information.

“A decade ago, Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation began a commitment to support the emerging field of nonprofit investigative journalism” said Bob Ross, President and CEO of the Oklahoma City based foundation. “The content our grantees continue to produce for their communities is invaluable. EEJF is proud to be a part of their growth.”​

The following grants were awarded to organizations for projects addressing the foundation’s core areas of focus:

Investigative Reporting

$250,000 to Oklahoma Watch to strengthen and expand investigative reporting and launch initiative in enterprising photography, videography and audio.

$100,000 to FairWarning for general support of watchdog journalism and efforts to expand audience and broaden financial base.

100,000 to I-News at Rocky Mountain PBS to help individuals and organizations tell the stories most relevant to them ultimately resulting in content that can be shared.

$75,000 to Fund for Investigative Journalism for grants to independent investigative reporters.

$75,000 to Investigative Newsource to research potential for new fee-for-service revenue.

$50,000 to Carolina Public Press to increase government openness and accountability through audience and community engagement on critical issues.

$50,000 to InvestigateWest to build a diverse and sustainable revenue base through content sales and partnerships, individual memberships and major donors.

$50,000 to The Lens for general support of watchdog reporting to foster functional, accountable government.

$50,000 to New Mexico In Depth to expand investigative reporting capacity and build upon collaborative approach to core issue areas.

$50,000 to Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism for general support of award-winning news operations and efforts to strengthen business operations.

Oklahoma Journalism

$420,000 to University of Oklahoma to embed journalism students in Washington, D.C. to cover Oklahoma-related matters for news outlets ($200,000); for a collaborative media project between OU’s Gaylord College and West Virginia University’s Reed College of Media ($170,000); and for KGOU Radio and Oklahoma Public Media Exchange to conduct public opinion research during the 2018 campaign and election cycle ($50,000).

Professional Development

$100,000 to Investigative Reporters and Editors for Watchdog Workshops, providing high-caliber training to support the skills necessary for credible investigative journalism.

$25,000 to LION Publishers to support investigative reporting at small local independent online news organizations.

Special Opportunities

$85,000 to Student Press Law Center to expand impact and implement a new outreach strategy targeted at diverse communities who have not previously accessed services.

$38,000 to University of Oklahoma for a national study to examine how journalism and other media students develop ethically in their first years after college.

$25,000 to Carey Institute for Global Good for a workshop on measuring impact and creating high-impact independent journalism.